The whole machine was filled with grit so a lot of my time was spent just getting the Arizona dust of the carriage guide rails. A couple drops of oil really freed every thing up.
As Ted reported, the platen is in a sad state, but I have never seen an original Hermes platen that wasn't rock-hard. Fortunately the feed rollers are still really soft and grip the paper well. If you use two sheets of paper it works great. I tend to use two sheets of paper regardless. If time and money is freed up I might send the platen to Ames for recovering.
This model has a twin ribbons system. It can use standard fabric ribbons or the lovely high-definition film ribbon. This particular machine came with a completely full film spool so I didn't have to install a ribbon.
As desktop typewriters go, the Ambassador is really ridiculously large. It dwarfs pretty much any desktop typewriter. My HH looks like a portable next to this thing. I have no idea why the size. Maybe it's the one typewriter to rule them all.
No students have used it yet, but I will make it available tomorrow for part two of a two-day project. I am sure there will be some interested takers. It types like a dream and is filled with every bell and whistle. I love the paper injector. It makes you feel like you are shifting a really fast car into first.
The decision that I am facing is whether I should make this into a Silver Surfer. Shining it to a mirror finish might make this the most formidable typewriter ever.
It looks in perfect condition to me. I recently got an Ambassador, and would rate it amongst the finest office machines ever. Big, but not too big, it's still elegant in its way.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely make this one a Silver Surfer. That would look like either a tank or a chromed Humvee.
ReplyDeleteEither way, very formidable. :)
I'm sorry to say, but Ames no longer does Ambassador and SG-1 platens. But, either way, you definitely need to make this one a Silver Surfer! The Ambassador is one of my favorite typewriters, and it truly is a masterpiece of Swiss engineering.
ReplyDeletecan I try it out when I visit next week? Probably not, it will be locked in the school. Awesome battletyper though. "Dreadnought" class.
ReplyDeleteI have a parts Ambassador that you're welcome to raid if you need any parts. It became a parts machine because I screwed up the platen shafts wrestling the platen in and out -- just don't do that unless you have to!
ReplyDeleteYou had a problem getting an Ambassador platen in and out? That's weird, the Ambassador has the easiest-to-remove and replace platen I've ever encountered! Even simpler than pulling a Smith-Corona platen :D
ReplyDeleteIn fact, removing the platen is how I discovered the disintegrating front feed rollers that discouraged me from keeping it. I dunno how it still feeds paper so nicely - those rollers are actually split apart, with bits crumbling off of them.
It's definitely an amazingly put-together machine which will shine under Ryan's expert care. I'm glad that he wanted it after I decided that I didn't. It's always a pleasure to foist a machine off on him and watch the magic of the Magic Margin treatment happen. (:
Ted, I did even notice the split feed rollers. Ooooh mama they are gone. I think that I might be able to keep them together with some heat-shrink tubing. They are split, but still soft and pretty grippy. I am amazed at how long this thing must have sat in an un-cooled storage unit or garage. It's reall dusty, but there is no hint of mildew or mold. This typewriter suffers from a series of small problems that make it-- overall-- less than stellar. I think the heft and quality is what's keepting it together.
ReplyDeleteYep, it was filthy and weather-beaten, but everything did seem to work, if stiffly. I suffered from a brief fatuation with the idea of restoring it, but my head cooled pretty quickly once I saw them feed rolls. That made the "time to cull all my standards" reflex happen.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I have a manual for the Ambassador that's for an earlier model. I can pass that on to you next time we meet or do a typewriter ephemera drop. I'll also post the scans tonight.
Matt, thanks for the heads-up, but I just called Ames and they said that they could cover an Ambassador platen. I've heard what you said or something similar on the PTF and Typewriters. I might give AMES another call and make sure.
ReplyDelete